Tampico Prep

What does it mean when your lying awake in bed at 5:45am and can't go back to sleep? Well, for me it means I stayed up until midnight packing for the Tampico, Mexico trip and still have some to do before 8:00 this morning. Yes, I do know the consequences of last minute packing, yet I still usually choose to do it that way.

The prep and packing for the Mexico trip is more difficult than the Peru trip. That may sound strange, but packing for Peru means you take the bare minimum you need to survive for a week and cram it into one carry on suite case. The 6 hour flight is the longest span of time that you have to entertain yourself and you get served dinner and a movie during that time. Mexico however means packing the bare minimum to survive into one suite case, then a bed roll for a stay over in McAllen, and most importantly entertainment for two twelve hour days of traveling. This is the hard part, because space is limited. I also have a travel rule that states that I should be able to carry all my things at one time. Many lessons were learned on last years trip and will be put into practice this time.

First of all, food. When being held captive by a van, boredom causes you to think about your stomach. This can be a really bad thing. Riding for 2 days and consuming junk food will make you feel less than good. Only take things that consumed in large quantities will make you feel refreshed. My travel food bag this trip consists of apples, oranges, whole wheat crackers, prunes, grapes, blueberries, peanut butter, oat bread, spinach, asparagus, and sugar free candy. These are things I can eat without feeling bad about later.

Second, media. An MP3 player is a must! Personal time on a van is hard to find, but necessary for sanity. The DVD player worked out well last year and will be utilized again this year. I was hoping to just watch movies on the MP3, but a lack of preparation thwarted those plans.

Third, comfort. Traveling clothes must be comfortable. This has never been a problem, but fashion is not even considered here. Stretchy shorts and a T-shirt are the best options. Pillows are vital if you plan to do any snoozing without waking up feeling like you have been run over. A large firm pillow works best as the road will be bumpy and a thin pillow will cause you to bump your head. Blanket, chances are the van will be too warm or too cool. Too warm and you have extra pillow material, too cool and you can cuddle up and be comfortable.

Lastly, drugs. Yes, drugs. Benadryl is your friend. It is the safest drug you can take and has many benefits. Not only will it make you sleepy, usually without making you delusional like a lot of other meds, its also helps protect you from anything new you come in contact with that may cause you to sneeze, itch, swell or break out into a rash. I did not intend to be doped up on benadryl last year, but after a bee sting on the first day that left my arm swollen and feverish for 2 days I learned a valuable lesson. Additionally, you want to pack your favorite pain medication. Everyone uses something different, so if one product works better for you, pack it.

Travel wisdom is acquired quite quickly, you learn what you don't need and what you wish you did have. Take notes and keep them in your suite case to make packing easier. And this way you won't forget something critical like your eye mask and ear plugs that you don't think about in between trips.

We pack the van at the church this morning at 9:00 with VBS, vision clinic, construction and pastors conference supplies and our main suite cases. My main suite case holds clothes to give the ladies there and food for the week and trip back. Our bed rolls and "overnight bags" will go in the trailer Saturday morning when we leave. I say "overnight bag" because mine has everything in it for all week. You learn to pack a lot into a little when you have an aversion to checking luggage at the airport.

I am getting excited, but am also sad about leaving my cats. Ha ha! Seriously, I will miss Eddie so much. He is necessary for my sanity at times. I will try to update every night with the days happenings. If you don't receive one, its very possible they are working us too hard! Please be praying for safety, health, patience, open hearts, willingness to adapt, quick travels and a vision. I listed vision last, because I wanted you to remember it. Mission work is futile without vision. Without a single vision we will all be working for different things. Although we may be doing different things we should all be working toward the same thing. Please pray that our Father will give us this vision.

For His Purpose,

Heather
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